The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-10-21
Lions In q Terrible Fight.
TEARING THEMSELVES IN PIECES UNTIL
DEATH ENDS THE BATTLE.

LONDON, October 18.-Early this
morning there was a fearful and ex
citing battle in the Jubilee Exhibition
at Liverpool. Delmonico, the most
plucky tanner of beasts in this country,
has been exciting the nerves Of the
visitors for long time by trifing in q
cage with three big forest lions. Five
more lions of different kind, but all
fierce aud full grown, arrived from
Africa yesterday and were put at once
into the big cage with the three al
ready there. They had no training,
but Delmonico went in among them
and thrilled the crowd that filled the
menagerie by an unusually sensational
performance. When he had done Mile.
Kora, his partner, went in with the
lions and took little dog with her.
This was repeated four times during
the day and the five new lions were
too much stunned by the huge, noisy
crowd about them and the repeated
visits of the man, woman and dog to
do anything but crouch in their corners
in fear.
Their astonishment bad not worn off
aud they were still quiet when left
alone for tonight by the attendants at
10 o'clock. Shortly after midnight,
however, the mensgerie was filled with
a frightful roaring and snarling, and a
servant sleeping on the premises rush
ed in to find the big iron cage rocking
and eight lions fighting furiously.
They were rolled up into huge dark
ball, from which blood-stained fur was
flying in all directions. The huge
beasts rolled over and over, dashing
madly against the sides of the cage
and biting pieces out of each other
with ferocity that was sickening. Ali
the sights organized to crafty mans
fondness for fighting would have seem.
ed the tamest child's play in oompari.
son. After while it became evident
that there were distinct sides in the
battle and that the new arrivals were
pitted at unfair odds against the lions
who had been in possession.
The efforts of the servant to separate
them only increased their fury. Al
last he rushed off for Delmonico, who
was asleep near by. The tanner ar.
rived half clad, and found his lions
bleeding fearfully, bat still fighting
The battle narrowed down to a due
between the two biggest lions, which
were rapidly biting each other to pieces
in the middle of the cage. Occasion.
ally it became general and for a few
seconds there would be wild tumble
among the snar!ing lions, with saw.
age crunching of teeth to tell how flesh
was being torn.
The appearance of Delmonico with
a red-hot iron in his hand produced
immediate effect. All but the two
chief combatants stopped fighting snG
crouched sullenly down, licking theil
bloody wounds and snarling encourage
ment to the two leaders. On these il
their rage hot iron was useless, even
when applied to raw flesh. They re
sponded to the burning sensation only
by tearing at each other more fiercely
At last Delmonico bravely entered th'
cage, half clad as he was, and shu
himself in. He next opened the doc
communicating with the second cag'
and drove into it like so many sheep
the six lions that had been looking
on.
Meanwhile the other lions were still
fighting, although much weaker. Del
monicoe's attempts to separate then
, were useless. They paid not tn,
slightest attention to him, and, al
though in their struggle they dashed
against him, they were evidently un
ooncious of his presence. Before tn,
, tamer could form any plan to separat,
; them the fight ended Of itself. TIL,
big forest lion rolled over on his bacl
/ and died, while the other gave fain
roar of victory. The dead lion wa
terribly mangled, while the victor,
I name was gone aud his body looked a
though an especially wicked harrow
had been repeatedly dragged over it
, Blood trickled from a hundred ugl,
! wounds, and there is little hope tha
, he will live.